Because of You
by skytears9
Summary: What if Makino Tsukushi chose Hanazawa Rui after breaking up with Domyouji Tsukasa? How would life be like if she didn’t end up with him? RxT. R&R! NO flames wanted. Ch4 UP!
1. Chapter 1: Who Will Tsukushi Choose?

**Disclaimer**: I really wish I did, but unfortunately _**I DO NOT OWN Hana Yori Dango.**_

**It's Because of You**

**Note**: This is the alternative ending after the Japanese version of Hana Yori Dango Season 2, episode 6. It takes place right after Domyouji Tsukasa drops her Saturn necklace into the river, but what if Tsukushi stops herself from retrieving it.

**Synopsis**: What if Makino Tsukushi chose Hanazawa Rui instead of Domyouji Tsukasa? Due to the fact that she couldn't take how hard it took just to be with him and that he ignored her for a year. RxT. R&R!! No flames wanted.

**Chapter 1: Who Will Tsukushi Choose? **

February 14th—a day famously known as Valentine's Day a.k.a. the ultimate date of love and romance. It's a day completely painted with the feminine colors such as red, pink, white, etc. In celebration of this special day, combined decorations of hearts, doilies, and the bearer of the arrows of affection, Cupid, are put up everywhere. This day and these decorations are known to bring out the unknown mushy-love side of almost everyone; or just make them hurl.

Anyways, every year on this day in Japan, girls of all ages make chocolates for their boyfriends, crushes, girlfriends, and/or guy friends. Usually, the girls make these special chocolates from scratch and ready themselves for a day of romantic bliss. On this day, some ready themselves for love confessions and others know that they will surely spend it with the one most important person to them—that is if they have a special someone.

However, on this day a certain college girl named Makino Tsukushi found this day quite troubling. But why would such a pretty girl like herself have such trouble?

She is by the way, the **only student** to have declared war on the fearsome and dominating F4 _and_ to have survived through it. And ever since she rebelled against them, she became good friends with all four of them. Not to mention, she was the runner-up winner of the beauty pageant Teen of Japan (T.O.J.) in 2005. In addition, she is a brilliant student studying to become an international lawyer at the prestigious Eitoku University, similar to her idol Toudou Shizuka.

So what is the dilemma that is deeply troubling Tsukushi?

Well, it's not one dilemma, but _two_ dilemmas—two men to be exact: Hanazawa Rui and Domyouji Tsukasa are two of the members of F4 who are in love with Tsukushi.

Unfortunately, Tsukushi is confused about her feelings for both of them.

Rui is the calm and cool member of F4 with the most mysterious side. Armed with light brown hair, a tall and cut body with looks that made all the girls swoon over him, he is known for having less to say. But whatever little words he has they usually have the most meaning. Plus, he is the heir and son to one or two of the most influential trading companies in the world. Rui was also once in a relationship with Shizuka, but they had recently broken up.

Rui met Tsukushi in their favorite place in Eitoku: a stairway fire escape. Before she found out that it was Rui's quiet hide-away, it was a place where Tsukushi would go to relieve her stress. At first, she fell head-over-heels for him and he became her first love. Even though at the time he couldn't return her feelings, he was fond of her. The two attempted to be together by going out on a date, but Tsukushi seemed to be more flattered by F4's leader, Tsukasa.

Tsukasa is the leader of F4 and a real force to be reckoned with. It's not just because of his short temper and violent behavior; he's also the son and heir of Domyouji Financial Corporation, a corporation Japan's economy relies on. Other than his aggressive trait, Tsukasa is also trademarked by his jet black curly hair, making many mistakes in speaking his native language Japanese, and his somewhat warped personality. Even though he has a sister that has always cared and disciplined him. His parents, however, coldly pushed him away and simply gave him whatever he wanted. Therefore, he longed to be loved.

When Tsukasa and Tsukushi met, their different personalities completely clashed. She couldn't stand his arrogance and the way he went around the school all high-and-mighty. And he couldn't stand that she never, unlike all of the students at Eitoku, obediently followed him and was always ready to defy his rule. That is why when Tsukasa insulted her and her family; she set him straight by giving him a powerful punch to his face and declaring war on F4.

And the unforgettable war between F4 and Makino Tsukushi began. It was a war that made both Tsukasa and Tsukushi reach their limits.

Although nobody predicted that Tsukasa would fall in love with Tsukushi. It seemed that the more they fought and he got to know her, his feelings for her grew. Later on, he called Tsukushi his "girl of approval" and was very open about his feelings for her.

Since then, Rui gave up on her and allowed his good friend to be with Tsukushi, but on one condition: if Tsukasa ever hurt her, Rui won't hesitate to take her away.

Their relationship was fine until Tsukasa left for New York to learn business and things began to change.

Due to an unexplainable reason, Tsukasa halted all contact with Tsukushi for over a year. He didn't send a letter or make a phone call to her; it was as if Tsukasa had accidentally forgotten about her. Since she didn't want to admit it and Tsukasa wasn't there to confirm it, the ideal couple broke up. This left the love-struck Tsukushi quite heartbroken.

In her ex-boyfriend's absence, Tsukushi found comfort in Rui and they got closer. They became very good friends and Tsukushi came to view Rui as someone she could lean on and talk to about anything. Rui felt the same way and repaid her by treating her out to a wide variety of fancy restaurants and shops, much to her delightful protest.

Along the way of their blossoming friendship, Rui developed feelings for Tsukushi. Presently, he already declared his love to her and had hoped that they would end up together.

Unfortunately, fate was not on his side, because two weeks ago, Tsukasa returned to Japan. Even though Tsukushi had visited him in New York a month ago and he denied the fact that she came to repair their break-up. And for the very few days that she was there, Tsukasa had little to say to her and simply watched her leave New York with a heavy heart. Sadly, Tsukushi thought that was the end of their relationship and attempted to move on with her life.

But now that he was back in Japan, his old love for her re-surfaced and he tried once again to be with her. This proved to be very difficult, because of his new girlfriend and fiancée, Shigeru, who his mother had forcefully arranged with. And the fact that Tsukushi was unsure of whom she wanted to be with.

Eventually, Rui fought with Tsukasa over the way he treated Tsukushi; he hated the way Tsukasa thought he could suddenly get back with her, even though he ignored her for a year and now had a fiancée. After hearing his good friend's opinion, Tsukasa realized his irrational actions. The two agreed to allow Tsukushi to choose who she wanted to be with and not fight with her decision.

Which brings this story to the special day of February 14th or Judgment Day for both Tsukasa and Rui—who will she choose?

For a week and the night before Tsukushi had thought long and hard while she made a small box of dark chocolates for her special someone. For Tsukushi, this decision was one of the most heart-searching and painful decisions she ever had to make.

On the one hand, she really loved Tsukasa, and had always felt special and safe whenever she was with him. Even though they did get into many arguments, she loved having him around. But now her feelings for him were somewhat cold. Since his mother was so intent on keeping them apart, she was unsure whether they could ever have a real relationship again—not that she wouldn't go through anything for him. But now the fact that he ignored her for a year and that he had a fiancée, hurt his chances. Could Tsukushi really be in an un-worried relationship with Tsukasa?

On the other hand, Rui was Tsukushi's first love and held a very special place in her heart. He may have a cold outlook on the world, but Tsukushi saw how much warmer he was now. And even though their first attempt to be an item failed miserably, she still had some feelings for him. In addition, ever since Tsukasa left to New York, Tsukushi found that she was more at ease around Rui. She realized that she laughed louder and smiled wider whenever she spent time with him. Furthermore, his love confession to her made her question her present feelings for him. But were her feelings for Rui confused with the way she felt about him as a best friend?

This and more all came down to Valentine's Day.

Earlier that morning, Tsukushi had wrapped the chocolates away and another box into her purse. She wore a lengthy white ruffled skirt with a matching long-sleeve shirt and a medium-sized dark red belt. As she put on a pair of beige boots and vest, she prepared herself for a day she knew would be quite emotional.

She took a deep breath and pulled out her cell phone. A quick look through Tsukushi's cell's phonebook brought her to one of the guys' numbers and she pressed the 'call' button.

The phone rang a few times before a voice answered.

"Yo," answered Tsukasa's voice on the other end. It was quite shaky, but sounded the same cocky and arrogant tone as usual.

"Konichiwa Domyouji," Tsukushi began, "Um... Are you busy right now?"

Tsukasa looked around at his surroundings; at the moment he was at home in his room and Shigeru was over. She was talking to him about something he didn't care about and he had tuned out the moment she came.

"No, I'm not," Tsukasa replied happily. This was the call he had been waiting all day for and he tried to keep his excitement under check. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I'd like to meet up with you later at 11," Tsukushi said. She quickly told him of a place where she'd like to meet him and asked if he would be able to make it.

"Yeah, I'll be there," he said and hung up his phone. Ignoring Shigeru, Tsukasa looked at his watch and saw that he had about half an hour to kill before his meeting with Tsukushi.

Abruptly stopping Shigeru in mid-sentence, Tsukasa told her he had other business to attend to. Even though she protested, Tsukasa swiftly left her with an unbelievable expression upon her face.

* * *

_**The meeting with Tsukushi**__… _

Tsukasa looked out over the bridge and couldn't help the giddiness growing inside of him. A small river flowed beneath him as he put his hands into the pockets of his cream-white jacket. His cocky side told him that Tsukushi had called to get back with him. Even though he didn't mean to hurt her during his time in New York, due to the fact that Tsukasa was learning to become a business man and inherit his family's corporation, he was glad she had chosen him.

The scenery around him was a bit brighter and the air was crisper as he looked around. When Tsukasa saw a young boy and girl pass by holding hands, he smiled giddily to himself.

_I'm sorry, Rui, but it seems that Makino has chosen me_, he proudly thought to himself.

When he turned around, he saw Tsukushi walking onto the bridge. He smiled wider as he called to her.

"Tsukushi!" Tsukasa saw how cute she looked in her outfit and had always loved her sense of style.

"I'm sorry," she replied with a small smile when she got closer. "Did you wait long?"

"I just got here." He told her before bluntly asking, "You have... something to give me, huh?" Tsukasa happily tried to sneak a peak into her purse.

She looked down at the ground before saying in what she hoped was a calm voice, "I... I've been really confused about this."

"It's okay," Tsukasa quickly reassured her as he leaned back onto the bridge's metal fence, resting his elbows on the top bar. "Just give it to me." He turned away from her in means to keep his anticipation waiting; he could already taste the chocolate Tsukushi had made for him.

She sighed and slowly retrieved a small box from inside her bag. Before handing it out to Tsukasa, she tried to reassure herself.

"Here." She unfolded her arm and held the box out for him to receive.

When he turned and saw the rectangular velvet box he gave to her last year, the frivolous smile on Tsukasa's face slowly faded.

"Huh?" The smile was then replaced with a puzzled look.

Tsukasa was confused as he looked from the velvet box to Tsukushi. He took it from her and opened it. Inside it, he saw the necklace he had given her: a white-gold Saturn-shaped pendant hanging on a silver necklace. After he found out that the planet Saturn was a symbol that they shared as one, the necklace was his gift to her. He had always seen her happily wear it, but now it was back in its case—as if it was never worn.

"Eh? What's the meaning of this?" he didn't understand why she was giving it back to him.

When she looked up and saw his crestfallen face, Tsukushi felt a heartstring tug, but she tried to keep a determined and positive attitude.

_Be strong Tsukushi,_ she told herself as she looked away from him. _Don't cry. This is something that has to be done._

"I'm giving that back to you," she said with a determined tone, "so I guess that settles everything—that's what it means." She bit her lip and continued to look away from Tsukasa's face.

His eyes grew wide with every word that came out of her mouth.

"I've given it a lot of thought and it was a very difficult decision," Tsukushi confessed to him. "I guess you were just too late. We won't be happy if we end up hurting everyone else." _There, I've said it. I've been honest with him_.

The wind blew lightly between them, but to Tsukasa it felt as if someone had just slapped him across the face. At the sound and searing pain of his heart breaking, he felt his body freeze for many seconds.

_No, this can't be happening,_ he sadly thought to himself.

Tsukasa could feel the hurt spread through his body and a new anger boiling. Without even giving it a second thought, he put the velvet box over the edge of the bridge and let it drop into the river below.

"Hey!" She gasped loudly at his sudden actions and looked over the fence, trying to locate the fallen necklace. She saw it flow with the river and she blindly followed it as it went under the bridge. It got stuck between two rocks on the opposite side of the bridge. With wide eyes, Tsukushi looked down at the necklace from her place on the bridge and then to Tsukasa on the opposite fence.

"Don't play around with me!" Tsukasa angrily shouted at her and began to powerfully kick at the bars of the fence.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he cried out in a rage.

Tsukushi was taken aback by his sudden outbreak and didn't know what else to do, but to watch and keep silent.

A few moments later, he turned to her with a glare of pure fury in his eyes. "Is that all I am to you?!" he shouted at Tsukushi, trying to make sure she didn't hear his heart tear into a million pieces.

"Huh?" Now it was her turn for a look of puzzlement.

"If you don't want it anymore, what good does it do for me?! This doesn't make me sad at all!!"

It seems that the heartbreaking pain empowered his every word as he balled his hands into tight fists, "Listen, I..."

He took a deep breath and stood his ground, trying to send as much as anger and pain toward her through his eyes and words. "I don't want anyone—**anyone**, but YOU, Makino!" Tsukasa shouted before storming off.

For the next few minutes, Tsukushi was silent and couldn't help, but stare at his retreating back. It wasn't the fact that his anger outraged her, but the fact that his last words echoed through her head and to her heart.

_It wasn't supposed to happen like this_, she thought to herself. _I mean, I knew he'd be angry, but not this angry. _

_Please understand, Domyouji, _Tsukushi wanted to say.

She felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked down at the stuck necklace below her. One look at it brought back all of the memories they had together; how he saved her from Sakurako, and how she had confessed her love to him before he left for New York. Her body told her to leave the present spot and go down to retrieve the velvet box. Oh, how she wanted to pick it up and run after Tsukasa, but that wasn't what she decided—no matter how painful they were right now, she was going through the consequences.

_It may be painful now, but time will heal and he'll understand in the future, _was her motto for today.

She made the right decision, she kept saying inside as if it were a mantra. Today was meant to be emotional and Tsukasa was just being the spoiled brat that he was. But with every reassuring word to herself, she felt tears fall down her face.

* * *

On the way home, Tsukushi tried to be as composed as she could, but her mind was a whirl of her memories of Tsukasa. In her mind, there was the scene when he said he approved of her and the time when they had accidentally kissed—these memories and more kept running through her mind like a broken record.

_Don't cry. Don't cry—wait until you get home,_ she told herself. But no matter what she said, her urge for tears wouldn't lessen.

But now that she had done it, she didn't feel so confident about her decision now. In her reminiscent state of mind, Tsukushi turned the corner onto her apartment complex's street, but didn't see the tall person she had accidentally bumped into.

_**Oof!** _

Tsukushi staggered back a few steps and quickly bowed low to the person she bumped into. "Gomen. Gomen"

"Makino?"

At the sound of her name said by a familiar voice, Tsukushi looked up and saw Hanazawa Rui standing straight in front of her. But when she saw him in his trademark button-up white shirt, black tie, and black pants, the tears threatened even more to flow out.

He smiled at the sight of her, but when he saw her sad face, it was replaced by a frown.

"Makino? What's wrong?" Rui asked her with pure concern in his voice and a helping hand on her shoulder.

For some apparent reason, Rui's actions made Tsukushi let herself put down her defense of making the tears stop. She couldn't help herself as she fell onto his chiseled chest and broke down in tears.

Even though Rui was taken aback by her tears, he tried to stay calm. "What happened?" he asked her coolly.

Now that she had let herself cry, the tears just wouldn't stop. It was as if a faucet had just turned on and she had no will power to turn it off. She could barely register his question and reply an answer.

Tsukushi's chest heaved up and down with tears. "I-I.. t-talked t... t-to D-Dom.. Domyouji," she answered in a broken voice. Even saying Tsukasa's name gave her slight pain.

"And?" he asked, wanting her to continue. Due to his height of 5'10", Rui looked down at her and let his arms gently rest around her shoulders. "And what did you talk to him about, Makino?" he repeated, giving her a comforting hug.

It took her a few minutes for her to answer, but when she did, tears flowed out more freely. "..I... I-I t-told.. him.. th-that.. m-me and him—we—c-couldn't work out," was her stuttered reply.

Rui's eyes widened at her response. "Why did you do that?" he asked, but even before he said the question, he knew her reason why.

Tsukushi allowed herself to lightly hug him back before answering. This time there were fewer tears to shed and her words weren't so shaky.

"I-it's because," she started and slowly looked up at his handsome face and into his eyes, "I... I chose you instead." Whatever little confidence Tsukushi had at the moment, she put it all into her next words, "I've d-decided that I want to be with you, Hanazawa, and no one else."

To hide her embarrassing blush, she buried her face into his chest once again and hugged him. After hearing her reply, Rui smiled lightly and hugged her back.

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­Yay—first chapter done! What do you think? Did you like it? I hoped you did, but now you must REViEW, PLEASE!! x) The next chapter will be up in two weeks. Thanks for reading! 

Oh, and for those who don't understand Japanese, here's a translation: Konichiwa Hello; Gomen Sorry.

-skytears9


	2. Chapter 2: A New Beginning

**Disclaimer**: I really wish I did, but unfortunately _**I DO NOT OWN Hana Yori Dango.**_

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the reviews—I wouldn't have continued the fic if you hadn't given me such nice reviews! And I'm glad you all like it. Now, here's the second chapter. Enjoy! x)

* * *

**Chapter 2: A New Beginning**

Since the day had taken a very emotional toll on Tsukushi and she was left with little will power, Rui gently lifted her into his arms. Since he knew that Tsukushi's apartment was under construction, he decided to take her to his house and then put her into his car.

On the car ride to his home, a comfortable silence fell between them as he held her hand reassuringly and never let go of it. When they got to his large mansion, Rui carried her to his room and laid her on his comfy king-sized bed. After setting her down and resting her head on his chest, Tsukushi let out a few more tears while Rui gently stroked her ebony black hair.

When she felt that there were no more tears left to shed, she sat up and looked at Rui.

"I'm sorry you had to carry me, I must have been pretty heavy," she apologized and then gave him a weak smile. Remembering that she looked ridiculous with tears on her face, Tsukushi attempted to wipe them with her shirt sleeve, but was stopped by Rui's hand.

He took a handkerchief from his pocket and tenderly wiped away her tears. "Don't worry, you weren't that heavy," he teased Tsukushi with a smile.

She blushed at his touch, but tried to hide it by looking around at his room.

In an effort to regain her strength, Tsukushi took a deep breath, feeling the clean oxygen fill her lungs and empowering her enough to stand up. She began to walk around his room and marveled at the size of his room and how clean it was.

"Wow—your room is the size of my whole apartment, and maybe the neighboring apartment as well." Tsukushi told him. Actually, his room was the size of two and a half of her apartments.

She then turned to him with a confused expression upon her face, "But why did you bring me to your house?"

The room was quite wide and spacious with beige colored walls, a king-sized bed in the middle and many tall windows. From where she stood at the foot of his bed, the two-door entrance to Rui's room was behind her and a large walk-in closet lay in front of her. There was a small crystal chandelier hanging from the high-ceiling, which allowed the light to bounce off from and make small rainbows onto the walls, creating a beautiful effect and a calming atmosphere in the room.

Rui simply watched her walk around before answering, "Well, since your apartment has a huge hole in the middle of the floor, I thought you would need a place to stay—like here. And don't worry about your belongings; they've already been brought up."

Her eyes widened at his answer as she turned to him, "Here? As in your room?" she asked, pointing to the spot where she was.

"Well, I meant our guest room, which is just as nice as my bedroom, but if you'd like to stay here, that's fine, too," he replied with a small laugh.

At the thought of sleeping in the same room as Rui, Tsukushi looked away and blushed. "No, it's ok—the guest room is just fine," she said, trying to concentrate on the scenery outside one of his bedroom windows.

But when she turned back, Rui's face was two inches from her face. The new closeness brought a darker shade of red to Tsukushi's cheeks and created a desire in her to kiss him.

_His lips look so soft; I remember how his kiss was so tender, _she thought, reminiscing about the time he kissed her in the hospital, but suddenly stopped herself. _No—don't think that!_

"W-what? Is there something on my f-face?" she defensively asked in a stuttered tone, hoping he didn't notice that she was nervous.

Rui smiled at her and said, "Nothing, really—but your cute face." Sensing her nervousness, he brought his face another inch closer to hers.

_When she's nervous like this, she's so adorably cute_, he thought to himself.

Tsukushi tried to decrease her desires by turning away and saying, "Um… I should g—"

But before she could even finish her sentence, Rui pulled her into a gentle hug.

"I'm really happy that you chose me, Makino. I never thought you'd be mine or that I would even have you here in my arms right now," He confessed to her with a smile and sighed. "You know, last night I couldn't even sleep. And when I woke up this morning, I thought for sure that you would want to get back with Tsukasa."

She was taken aback by both the hug and his words, but slowly welcomed it and put her arms around him.

_He's so warm,_ Tsukushi thought. She felt his warmth turn into a sweet and fuzzy feeling spreading through her whole body. This new found emotion brought a very deep red blush to her face, but this time she wasn't so embarrassed by it. And even though the room was contently silent as they continued to hug, her heart beat rapidly beneath his touch.

"I'm happy, too." She told him, breathlessly.

Rui brought her to look up at him. "Just promise you'll stay with me."

Tsukushi looked deep into his eyes and took a deep breath before answering, "I promise."

He smiled down at her and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. Rui leaned lower and was about to kiss her on the lips, but was interrupted by Tsukushi's hand.

Confused by her actions, Rui loosened his arms around her. "What's wrong?"

She gave him a reassuring smile and said, "I'm sorry, Rui, but maybe one kiss on the forehead is enough for today. I'm just really tired right now."

_I really want to kiss you, Rui, but I don't think I can take another kiss from you today. This year's Valentine's Day was just too much and if I kiss you right now, I don't know what I'll do,_ she wanted to say, but stopped herself. They were close enough for Tsukushi to say fewer words and know fully well that Rui would read her mind and understand.

Rui sighed and reluctantly let go of her, because as she had predicted, he knew what was on her mind and understood. "Alright, I guess you're right." he said lamently and looked out the window to see that the sun was starting to set. "And it's getting pretty late. But tomorrow, I'm taking you out for the whole day—how does that sound?"

Tsukushi smiled brightly back at him. "That sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow." she said and turned to leave, but suddenly stopped herself and turned back around. Tsukushi remembered Rui's Valentine's Day chocolate and opened her purse. She took out the second parcel from her bag, which was a small red box with a white ribbon bow. Inside it was a dozen heart-shaped chocolates that had the letter 'R' written on them in white chocolate.

"Oh, I forgot to give you this," she told him and happily held out the chocolate box for him. "Happy Valentine's Day, Rui. Would you like to be my valentine?" Tsukushi asked, even though she already knew his answer.

Rui pretended to think over her question, as if he was unsure of whether he should say 'yes' or 'no.' He put a hand under his chin and sat down on the edge of his bed, trying to imitate the famous Thinking Man statue, but to no avail—due to the fact that Rui was much more handsome than the marble statue.

"I'm not sure if I should say yes," he teased.

Tsukushi sensed his tease and gave him a small glare, "Well, then if you don't want them, then I'd better go and eat them myself." she teased back and turned to leave again, "besides, if you don't wish to be my valentine, I could always ask someone else." With a small laugh, Tsukushi took a few steps toward his bedroom door when the box of chocolates was taken from her.

"But then again, how could I ever turn down such a charming girl's offer?" Rui said and gave her a hug from behind. He put his lips close to her left ear and whispered, "And yes, of course, I'll be your valentine." He hugged her for a few more seconds before she felt his arms let her go. "Now go, there's a maid waiting for you out in the hallway and she'll show you to your room."

Since he had taken her teasing bait, Tsukushi laughed again.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you, too." he said as he watched her go. "I'll see you in the morning, valentine."

Tsukushi blushed once more and left the room, allowing the sweet emotion to create a slight light-headedness. With a goofy smile on her face, she walked out into the hallway to find a brown-haired maid in a light blue button-up shirt and a long black skirt.

At the sight of Tsukushi, the maid gave a slight frown, but quickly replaced it with a kind smile. "Good evening, Miss. Makino. My name is Jade," she greeted in a voice that sounded as a voice perfect for an automated voicemail. She looked a few years older than Tsukushi. "I'd like to welcome you to the Hanazawa mansion. During your stay here, I'll be your personal maid. First, let me show you to your room."

When Jade turned around and had her back to Tsukushi, her smile disappeared. She brought Tsukushi down the high-ceiling, white walled hall, up a flight of large stairs with a satin red carpet, and into another hallway. Tsukushi looked around at the gorgeous home as she followed the maid. They stopped at a door, two doors away from the flight of stairs that led to Rui's hallway.

Before opening the door, Jade pulled out a key and unlocked it. She swung it open to reveal a bedroom with that was a little bit smaller than Rui's room, but still spacious. Tsukushi's new bedroom had pastel-blue colored walls, tall white windows with beige curtains, and a matching queen-sized bed against the wall to her right. From the door, the windows stood from across her and a walk-in closet to her left. Tsukushi's luggage was at the foot of the bed and there were two bedside drawers on both sides of the bed. She also had a bathroom that was next to the walk-in closet.

Tsukushi gasped at how wonderful the room was and quickly sat on the bed, testing its comfortableness. "Is this really my room?" she asked mostly to herself, as if trying to get a hold of reality.

Since she didn't know Tsukushi was not really asking, Jade answered the question anyway.

"Yes, it is. Young Master Hanazawa suggested that I put you in the nicest guest room near his own bedroom," she informed Tsukushi with the same plastered kind smile. "Well, I'd better let you settle in. Breakfast is served at 9am every morning in the dining room. If you need anything at all, don't be afraid to ask. There's a button next to your bed that buzzes for me. Have a nice night, Miss Makino." Jade pointed to a green button next to the head of Tsukushi's bed and then left the room, closing the door behind her.

As soon as Jade was out of the room, Tsukushi lay back onto the bed and sighed happily. She smiled to herself and decided to get ready for bed.

She walked over to the closet and opened it, to find her clothes already hung up or put away into the cherry wood armoire. Since the armoire was inside the closet as well, Tsukushi pulled out each of the drawers until she found a pair of pajamas.

By the time she was ready for bed, her bedroom window showed early night stars shining down from the dark sky. As she got into her new bed, Tsukushi was glad that today had ended on such a great tone. She was so happy to have Rui in her life and that he felt the same way about her. And after remembering his touch earlier in his room, Tsukushi realized how immense her feelings were for him. She hoped with the way she felt that they would stay together for a long time.

Although these joyful thoughts were cut short by Tsukushi's last memory of Tsukasa—how angry he was when she told him she didn't want to get back together with him. His preceding words and actions came back to her in a crystal clear picture:

_He took a deep breath and stood his ground, trying to send as much as anger and pain toward her through his eyes and words. "I don't want anyone—__**anyone**__, but YOU, Makino!" Tsukasa shouted before storming off._

She sighed sadly to herself and pulled the covers closer to her body, as if trying to shrug off the memory. More than anyone, Tsukushi knew how determined Tsukasa was when it came to things he wanted or loved and one way or another he was going to try to get her back.

_He just needs time, that's all,_ she wishfully told herself as she looked up at the night sky. _I've just got to stay away from him for a while; that way it'll ease his pain and mine as well._

Tsukushi breathed in and slowly closed her eyes, feeling sleep getting a hold of her. Before falling into a deep slumber, a picture of Rui's kind and handsome face filled her mind and she smiled to herself.

_With Rui, I feel stronger,_ she sleepily confessed to herself. _Besides, tomorrow will be a better day and a new beginning._

A new beginning, yes, that would test her love and relationship with Rui.

* * *

_**On the other side of Tsukushi's bedroom door…**_

What Tsukushi didn't know was that after Jade left the room, her face clouded into an expression of jealous and distaste. Her frown grew deeper as she walked away and toward the maid quarters.

"That's Young Master Hanazawa's new girlfriend?" she curtly asked herself and quickly scoffed as if it were an absurd idea. "She doesn't look good enough for him at all; she looks poorer than me. I'll have to get rid of her."

* * *

_**The next day…**_

In the morning of the next day, Tsukushi woke up to find herself in the sheets of a comfortable queen-sized bed and a gorgeous bedroom. It took her a few seconds to realize where she was and how she had gotten there.

Small flashbacks of yesterday came flowing to her mind and she blushed, remembering Rui's gentle touch.

_Hanazawa Rui,_ she thought dreamily to herself as she sat up in her bed. _I had almost forgotten that he's my boyfriend and that I'm staying in one of his guest rooms. _

Tsukushi smiled and turned to look at the clock next to her. 7:11am blinked back at her in neon green. Keeping in minding that breakfast was at 9'o clock, Tsukushi got out of bed and went to get ready for breakfast.

Half an hour later, she slowly opened her door and looked around the empty hallway. She had remembered the way to Rui's room and made her way down the stairs.

Before entering his room, she primped herself up a little and hoped she looked nice enough for him. Today, Tsukushi wore a pair of dark blue skinny jeans with a white mid-way sleeve shirt under a thin black jacket and black and white checkered slip-ons.

She opened the door to see Rui fixing a thin black and gray striped tie on his shirt. At the sound of his bedroom door, he turned to her. When he saw that it was Tsukushi, he smiled at her. He wore a white button-up long-sleeve shirt with black slacks and polished black shoes.

"Good morning," he greeted as he walked over to her. Rui gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, feeling his lips get warm from blushing. "Don't you look pretty this morning?"

No matter how hard she tried to stop herself, Tsukushi blushed at him and returned his hug and kiss. "Thanks. Are you ready for breakfast?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Sure, let's go," Rui said as he took her hand into his. Before leaving, he took out on a white jacket. "Did you have a good sleep?"

"Yeah. Thanks so much for letting me stay here and everything you've done for me," Tsukushi thanked him. "The maid who helped me was Jade, she's nice."

When Rui heard Jade's name, he loosened his grip on her hand. "Jade? She's your maid?" he questioned and gave a small frown.

She nodded and followed him as he led the way to the dining room. "Yes. Why? What's wrong?"

"It's just that Jade gives me a bad vibe, that's all," he warned her. "So, don't stay too close to her, ok?"

"Don't worry, I just want to be close to you," she said as she held onto his arm.

He laughed and they made a turn into the dining room. The dining room was very large with a big chandelier hanging from the high-ceiling. Tall glass windows similar to Tsukushi's and Rui's decorated the walls and had two doors that opened onto verandas. In the middle of the room was a long wooden table topped with eight plates full of eggs, bacon, sausages, muffins, glasses full of milk, orange juice, and other such breakfast food. Tsukushi's mouth fell open at the sight of so much food in the morning.

"Sorry we don't have much food today. I think we ran out of eggs," Rui informed her as he took a seat. "Usually, we have nine plates full of food, instead of eight."

"Eh?" A shocked expression graced her porcelain-colored face Boy, did the rich surprise her sometimes. "Do you mean that you have this much food every morning?"

Rui nodded and patted the seat next to him, motioning for her to sit next to him. Tsukushi quickly got over her shock and took the seat next to him.

Before eating, they bowed their heads and said, "Itadakimasu!" She smiled and together, they filled their plates and enjoyed a good breakfast.

After they were done with breakfast, Rui turned to Tsukushi and reminded her that they were going to go out today.

"I told you I'd take you out the whole day today," he told her as he finished off his scrambled eggs.

Tsukushi took a sip of her orange juice and said, "The whole day? What's the occasion?"

Rui looked at her and smiled, "The day you became mine."

_He's so sweet,_ she thought as they got up and he took her hand again.

Since Rui said he was going to drive, they made their way to the entrance where his car was already waiting. Along the way, he told her of his plan to take her to see a movie, have lunch, and then go see a play that he had heard about and knew she would like.

"How does that sound to you?" Rui asked her as they got into his white car.

"Sounds like a busy day to me," she answered as she put her seatbelt on. "Let's start."

She smiled at him as he turned the engine on. But as they turned in their seats to the front of the car, they saw a person standing in front of them.

From the front of Rui's car, Domyouji Tsukasa glared back at them and all their couple happiness.

* * *

Ohh—first cliffhanger!! Sorry, if this chapter is kind of short, but I'm still trying to develop the plot and decide what's going to happen in it. 

So—what'd you think so far? Review please: contructive criticism is welcomed, but flames ARE NOT. Thanks for reading!

-skytears9


	3. Chapter 3: The Awkward Date

**Disclaimer**: _**I DO NOT OWN Hana Yori Dango**_.

Hello again! I'm reallyyy glad that you're continuing to read it. Honestly, I wouldn't even have the drive to continue this fic if I hadn't received such awesome reviews! I've made a personalized review in my profile, so go ahead and look. But for now, I'll stop typing and let you read the fic. Sorry if it took me longer than I had said. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Awkward Date **

Although Rui and Tsukushi didn't know at first, let alone were aware of Tsukasa's presence, the truth was that he had been standing in front of Rui's house for ten minutes. As he had stood there in his new head-to-toe black and blue Gucci suit and dominating aura, he seemed quite menacing. But Tsukasa landed on Rui's property on somewhat good terms: he had gone to his best friend's house to discuss Tsukushi's most recent decision.

_And how horribly wrong her choice was and still is,_ was his reasoning to his other best friends and fellow F4 members Mimasaka Akira and Nishikado Sojiro. Akira, the F4 member known as the voice of reason, would've stopped Tsukasa right away, but his attempt to put some sense into Tsukasa was hindered by Sojiro. The famous flirty playboy member knew that their tries to stop Tsukasa were futile. Therefore, Sojiro simply put a supporting hand on Akira's arm and reluctantly allowed the F4 leader to pass by. While they didn't have the slightest idea what was going to happen, they did know that they'd have to pick up the broken pieces.

Since Tsukasa didn't know that Tsukushi was with the Hanazawa heir this early in the morning, he didn't mean to intrude on their way out. In his wildest imagination, he hadn't even predicted the very sight of a grinning Rui and a happy Tsukushi coming out of the Hanazawa mansion holding hands. Though now that Tsukasa was actually there and he saw for himself, he suddenly froze and was at loss for words. It may not have shown, but he felt both the oxygen leave his lungs and his once powerful determination diminish in seconds.

It must have been their couple happiness that made him glare dangerous daggers at the couple and compose them to be completely oblivious of his presence. That is until they turned forward in their seats and saw him sending an angry glare toward them.

For a split second Rui was speechless at Tsukasa's sudden appearance, but he quickly shrugged it off.

"Tsukasa," he called as he got out of his car to go talk to Tsukasa. "What brings you here?"

Before he could even answer Rui's question, it took Tsukasa a few moments to register it. He pretended that he couldn't feel his heart break again as he said, "Oh, Rui. I, uh, was just in the neighborhood. Apparently, I couldn't sleep last night, so I thought a drive around would do me some good." When Tsukasa said this, his eyes veered over to Tsukushi as if she was the cause of his sleepless night. Despite the complex situation, the two friends' conversation seemed quite casual.

On Tsukushi's end, she felt ill at ease and took the longest to speak. Her actions, however, were just the same because right away she felt his eyes on him and she looked out of the car. And when she finally did find her voice and said something, she didn't mean for it to be a correction; she had hoped she would say something comforting or kind to Tsukasa.

"Eh? Don't you live on the opposite side of the city?" she corrected him.

As a matter of fact, all of the F4 members lived on distant sides of the city. Due to the fact that their parents were so wealthy they couldn't all live a few blocks away, let alone on the same street. If they did, they would have probably overlapped their huge estates and argue who would acquire more acres of land. That's why the more distance, the better. Besides, each of their homes was similar to points on a compass made to fit their city: the Domyouji manor on the North point, the Hanazawa mansion on the South side, the hidden and well-protected Mimasaka home on the East end, and the Nishikado house on the West position.

Tsukasa realized his mistake and quickly tried to cover it up. "Well, I.. uh.. while I was driving, I had the desire to shop, so I remembered of my favorite clothing store not too far from here. I was.. um.. passing by and thought I'd stop by—yeah, that's it." Proud of his smart thinking and good lie, he smiled to himself.

After hearing Tsukasa's reason for being there, Rui had a puzzled look on his face and then pointed out a huge flaw in Tsukasa's so-called story. "Then you'd have to be near Sojiro's place, because his house is five blocks away from the Ginza district; where the entire designer named stores we all prefer are there. There're only some business buildings around here, remember?" he motioned to his surroundings and pointed out tall sky-tearing business buildings a few blocks from the Hananzawa mansion.

Realizing his lis, Tsukushi lightly tapped her head with her hand and couldn't believe how erroneous Tsukasa could be sometimes. _Unbelievable_, she thought to herself.

"Oh." Clearly caught in two lies, Tsukasa had nothing else to say, and allowed his face to admit defeat. He sighed to himself and decided to just get to the main reason why he was there.

"Rui, can I talk to you about Tsukushi?" Tsukasa bluntly asked.

"Hey—I'm right here," she pointed out by raising an arm from her seat in the car. As Tsukushi crossed her arms over her chest, she felt it best to stay inside, lest she feel the urge to shout at Tsukasa for interrupting her date with Rui.

It's a good thing Rui tried to be the neutral side to both of them. "Can it wait, Tsukasa? I'm about to leave with Tsukushi," he told his best friend in an effort to get away. He motioned toward an irritated Tsukushi sitting in the shotgun of his car.

"Leave? Where to?" Tsukasa asked in a panicky tone. He suddenly felt jealous and wanted to know where they were going and why.

"Rui insists on taking me out for the whole day today," Tsukushi informed him in a small sympathetic voice.

After hearing this, a sad frown took up the Domyouji heir's mouth as he looked away from them. He felt empty; like he didn't belong there and he hastily wished that Akira had stopped him. But when Tsukasa turned back to Rui and Tsukushi, he had an immdediate idea.

"Um… it seems my.. er, chauffeur has left without me," Tsukasa started with his idea and overacting his words. He motioned toward a long black limo driving away, "I guess I have no transportation what so ever. But it's ok; I didn't want to go home yet. Is it alright if I go with you guys?"

_Once again, my quick thinking and swift mouth comes in handy,_ Tsukasa pompously thought to himself.

Both Rui and Tsukushi frowned at his sudden inquiry and exchanged glances; she hoped that Rui wouldn't agree. It's not that she didn't want Tsukasa with them, but she didn't think it was such a good idea to have both of the boys who loved her in the same car. In addition to the fact that she rejected the one in front of them and was now on her way out with the current, and hopefully for a long time, boyfriend.

_And if he goes with us, he might try to talk to me or something—and I just can't talk to him right now, _she thought.

Rui looked from Tsukushi to Tsukasa and saw how she didn't wish for him to come with them at all. He really didn't want to be in this position, but this was his best friend who was asking.

_If we take him along, he'll only get sadder when he sees us together,_ Rui thought to himself with a huge sigh. _But then again, he did ask and I can't just leave him here._

Reluctantly, the Hanazawa F4 member told Tsukasa to join them and he gave Tsukushi a pleading look as he got into the car. She sighed in defeat and only glared at both of the boys.

"Thanks, Rui." Tsukasa told his best friend as they both got into the white Porsche. While Rui got into the driver's seat, Tsukasa smiled in the backseat and tried not to look at the back of Tsukushi's head.

Rui only nodded and began to drive out of his long driveway with one hand on the wheel. He tried to lower Tsukushi's glare on him by comfortingly holding her hand with his free hand, but she simply held his hand in a limp manner and tried to relax in her seat. As soon as they got onto the road, an uncomfortable silence fell between all three of them.

At the sight of Rui and Tsukushi holding hands again, Tsukasa suffered a heartstring pull and wanted to find a way to get in between. He noticed the silence and thought that some radio music would help—and get him to break the new couple's physical touch.

"It's pretty quiet here—I better turn on the radio to kill the silence," Tsukasa told them in a fast pace voice and leaned forward to reach the radio. He forced the two to break their bond as he put his arm in between and turned on the radio. Before choosing a station, Tsukasa lingered on each station longer than usual for _twenty minutes_.

When he sat back into his seat, Tsukasa tried to strike up a conversation. "So, uh, Makino, what were you doing at Rui's house this early in the morning?" he asked her as if it were a normal conversation; even though he wanted to know more than anything.

"Well, seeing as her house is under construction," Rui answered for her and motioned to Tsukasa, because he was the reason for Tsukushi's apartment's hole in the floor, "I thought it'd be a good idea for her to stay at my house. Since we have so many guest rooms and not that many guests, she's more than welcome to stay as long as she wishes."

This answer only brought disturbing images to Tsukasa's already warped mind, such as a picture of Rui and Tsukushi lying in bed together. Yes, he did have quite an imagination; because in his mind he saw them sleeping in the same bed and feeding each other breakfast like a married couple.

Without even turning to look at him, Tsukushi had read his mind. She quickly informed him that they slept in different rooms and then asked Rui where they were going.

"Since the play is later tonight, we should all go to the movies first and then have lunch after at your favorite restaurant, Tsukushi," Rui replied with his eyes still on the road.

He smiled at his girlfriend and then continued to tell Tsukasa and Tsukushi that they would watch an American action/thriller movie called _Live Free or Die Hard_. "Due to the fact that my parents are funding the movie to come to Japan and it won't be out for another five months, we can get a private screening. Also for the time that we're there, the whole movie theater is open to only us." He reached for Tsukushi's hand again, as if to remind Tsukasa that they were together and he shouldn't try anything at all.

Tsukasa could care less about movies, because he had his home theater and rarely went to a public theater. But when he saw them hold hands again and Tsukushi grasp Rui's arm, he made a face of disgust. He wondered how many times he'd have to see them hold hands before his face becomes frozen with a disgusted expression.

Thankfully, a few minutes later the three arrived at their destination and Rui parked in front of the theater. As they stepped out of the theater, Tsukushi saw that it was quite huge with twenty-five auditoriums. She observed that its outside structure was built with a futuristic flair while the inside was modern. In the front stood twelve box offices to buy tickets and five pairs of double doors that led to the inside of the theater.

It seems that Tsukushi lingered too long observing, because Tsukasa had already went inside and Rui was calling to her from the front.

"Kushi!" Rui called out, using a nickname he thought up for her. She made a small smile and hurried toward Rui.

When they entered the building, the whole movie theater staff was there at the entrance to greet them. The regular workers in red shirts and black slacks stood in front of them in two rows that opened in the middle for Tsukasa, Rui, and Tsukushi. The manager and assistant manager stood at the other end of the opening middle in suits and ties. The manager named Yamamato Kouji came up to Rui and bowed to him before shaking his hand. He greeted Rui and told him that they were more than happy to have the heir of the Hanazawa family there.

"Please help yourself to any snacks or drinks—it's all on the house. Even choose any seat you like in the theater, because once you settle in, the movie will begin right away. And if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask any one of our staff," Yamamato finished with a kind smile before leaving.

Hearing this, Tsukushi respectfully bowed her head toward the manager and rapidly set her sights toward the large concession stand. She helped herself to two buckets of buttered popcorn, a large soda, and two boxes candies. Rui laughed lightly at her reaction, but helped her bring the food to their auditorium.

Once inside, Tsukasa saw an opportunity to be close to Tsukushi so when he saw her put her food down in a seat. He assumed that the food-filled seat was hers so he quickly sat right next to it. However, a few seconds later he saw her settle into the seat on the left side of the food-filled chair and Rui came in to take up her food and give it to her. Then Rui sat on the seat that was once taken by Tsukushi's food, which was on the left of Tsukasa and on the right hand side of Tsukushi; therefore, putting himself between Tsukushi and Tsukasa. Seeing that he made a mistake in the seating arrangements, Tsukasa frowned and leaned to his right, away from Rui.

As soon as they were all settled in, the auditorium lights dimmed and the movie started.

_**After the movie…**_

It was a little after two o'clock when the movie ended. The movie turned out to be an amusing action film with a very interesting plot. (For those who haven't seen it yet, I won't talk about the plot.) A comfortable and contented chatter about the movie erupted amongst the three as they walked out of the movie theater. Both Rui and Tsukushi laughed at Tsukasa's perfect impersonation of a funny line in the movie. They thanked the whole movie theater staff before leaving, and to the unknown stranger, they all seemed like a happy threesome of friends. But that thought was killed when Tsukushi thanked Rui.

"Thanks so much for the movie, Rui. So far today's been great," she told him as she gave him a big hug.

"You're welcome, Kushi," Rui said with a distinct blush upon his cheeks. He put a gentle arm around her shoulders and guided her to the car. Seeing this, Tsukasa walked three feet after them and made a mocking face in their direction. The mocking face was cleared away as he got into the car and heard Rui saying that a late lunch was next.

_If they're like this during lunch, I might as well be seated near a trashcan and hurl,_ Tsukasa thought as the car got onto the road again. He felt like he was in a Twilight Zone, watching a dreaded scene over and over and over again, much to his great displeasure. It appeared that the more he observed their couple intimacy, the more his broken heart wanted him to jump out of the car and run. This also broke his spirit and made Tsukasa begin to question his plan to get Tsukushi back. Earlier that morning, he had hoped a long and serious talk with both Rui and Tsukushi would make them see how much more perfect Tsukasa was for Tsukushi and how much more he loved her. In hopes of mending his spirit, Tsukasa put a hand into his right pants pocket and looked up, but saw their holding hands once more and wished he hadn't.

_But is talk still good enough to break them apart?_ He sadly questioned, gripping an object in his pocket.

During their lunch, Rui enlightened Tsukushi on the play that they were about to see.

"It's called _Wicked_," Rui began over his dish, "It's about the untold life story of the _Wizard of Oz_'s Wicked Witch of the West; such as of why she is green and how she became so-called 'wicked.' I've already seen it twice and I think it's excellent."

Tsukushi listened intently to Rui's every word, which made her eager to see it. Since the play was at five and it was her first time to a musical play, Tsukushi excitedly counted the hours and minutes. Hoping, no—knowing that she would enjoy it, Rui happily watched her get excited.

For the next hour, the three had a pleasurable lunch. They all seemed to like the dishes they ordered and Rui offered to treat them to dessert. Tsukushi happily took the offer and shared a crème brulee with her boyfriend. Tsukasa once again felt disguested by them and simply poked at his crepe. As soon as everyone was done with their lunch and dessert, Tsukushi almost rushed them out of the restaurant. Even though they had reserved private balcony seats waiting for them, Tsukushi wanted to be there early. At her request, Rui smiled and took up her request. All three of them got into the car again and made their way to the theater.

Once there, Tsukushi's eyes widened at the sight of the theater. It was an elegantly structured building with Western Spanish architecture. Powerful lights brightened the night and were put on both sides of the theater, commening another night of a wonderful play. A huge poster of the musical play _Wicked_ hung from the top; the picture containted a smirking green woman with a black hat covering her eyes and another woman in pure white clothing whispering something into the green woman's ear. Two box offices for will call and buying tickets sat to the right of the theater's entrance. There were two vast doors that gave way to the inside of the theater. They may have been early, but some people were already there. She observed the beautiful building before going in with Rui and Tsukasa.

After getting to their seats, Tsukushi was delighted to find that they had a perfect view of the stage. The stage was made of fine wood and shrouded with a big map of the Land of Oz. In the middle of the map lay the so-called _Emerald City_ that had green lights glowing around it. Tsukushi awed at the sight of it and sat back into her seat. Similar to the movie theater, the seating arrangements were the same.

Whilst the play was not for another forty minutes, they passed the time by either walking around the theater or talking. At the end of those anxious forty minutes, the lights flashed twice, signaling that the play was about to start. As they watched the map was removed and the curtain rolled up, Tsukushi almost squealed in delight. She exchanged smiles with Rui and Tsukasa as the opening song initiated the start of Act I.

_**After the play…**_

When the play finished, the three left their private balcony seats and made their way into the lobby and outside like the rest of the crowd. Tsukushi absolutely loved it and she told them that she couldn't wait to buy the soundtrack. She walked out of the theater with a wide smile and gushed to Rui and Tsukasa either about her favorite songs or most memorable parts of the play. As they all stepped onto the sidewalk and breathed in the crisp winter air, Rui took a hold of her hand.

"Thanks so much for taking me to see this play, Rui," Tsukushi said as she held onto his arm. "And thanks for such a wonderful day—it was the best!" She smiled at him and thanked the gods that she had him all to herself.

Rui returned the smile and said, "After seeing it a few weeks ago, I knew you'd like the play; you're more than welcome."

Tsukushi held onto her playbill and promised Rui that she'd keep it forever in memory of their brilliant, however awkward, date. Her boyfriend was happy that she would and he told her he'd keep his as well. Once again their couple happiness took over as the two continued to talk about the play. Sadly, they had forgotten that Tsukasa was with them.

While they continued to walk to Rui's car, Tsukasa followed after them, feeling much like a third wheel. The whole day was kind of fun, but he found that in his hurt state, he couldn't handle seeing them together. Even if it didn't show, his heart was already so broken and he didn't want to get hurt anymore. Despite Tsukasa's love for Tsukushi and the determination to have her back in his arms, he decided right then and there to stay away from them for a while. _Maybe being a few days away from here will do me some good,_ he thought and then looked toward the couple getting into Rui's Porsche. He decided to go home now and he flipped open his high-tech cell phone to call his chauffeur. The Domyouji chauffeur obediently took his young master's orders and promised to be there in ten minutes.

Inside the car, Tsukushi noticed that Tsukasa wasn't behind them. She turned around to find him five feet away from her on the phone.

"Domyouji." She called out to him and waved him to come over.

Tsukasa heard his name and snapped his phone shut just in time to turn to Rui and Tsukushi. But one look at Tsukushi's smiling face brought back memories of when they were together. He remembered the time he confessed his love for her and how he was so nervous to ask her out on a date. He sighed at the depressing thought of never having to hold her again and of telling her how much he loved her would not do much good.

Deep in thought Tsukasa whispered, "I still love you, Makino." He was unaware of the fact that he was now standing next to them.

"Huh?" Rui and Tsukushi said in unison. They didn't hear what he said, but knew that a sentence left his lips.

Tsukasa noticed that they were talking to him and shook his head. "It's nothing," he replied, "but I better get home. I have a business class to attend to in the morning."

They were a little taken aback by Tsukasa's abrupt decision to leave, but allowed him to do so. Both Rui and Tsukushi agreed to wait until Tsukasa's ride came before leaving. As they stood next Rui's car in the parking lot, Tsukasa saw that it was the perfect time to talk to both of them. Although the arrival of his limo made him cut his speech short.

"Um.. Tsukushi?" he said, trying to get her attention.

She turned to him, "Yes, Tsukasa?"

This was the first time throughout the whole day he was able to talk to her. Looking at her in the eye created mixed feelings of both heartbreak and warmth inside of him. Heartbreak being the result of his rejection and warmth was the flowing love he had for her.

"Makino, I want to confess that I was only at Rui's house this morning so I could talk to you," he told her with a sigh. "I wanted to convince myself that you still loved me and that you and I would still end up together somehow. But after today and being with you guys—" he slowly motioned toward Rui "—I'm not so convinced anymore."

He walked closer to her and put a hand into his right pants pocket, pulling out an object from the inside. The object turned out to be the Saturn necklace that she gave back to him the day before.

"The necklace.." she observed out loud with a sad frown.

"I still love you, Makino, and you'll always be my girl of approval. I waited all day and unwillingly had to watch you two as a couple, wanting to ask you one question: are you sure you won't need this anymore?" Tsukasa pleadingly asked, holding out the necklace for her to reach. It sparkled against the city night lights and yearned to be around her neck once more. In other words, he was asking if they would ever be together again.

Some tears welled up in her eyes and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. For some reason she had known he would do something like this. She slowly looked from Rui and then to Tsukasa. Both men were so precious to her and she couldn't imagine life without either one of them. Which was why more than anything, she didn't want to hurt them.

But Tsukushi knew in her heart that she wasn't wrong in choosing Rui. He was the one who made her happy and would give her that girly-giddy feeling whenever she was around him. Plus, he knew her so well and understood her more than Tsukasa could ever imagine.

"Domyuoji," she began with a huge sigh. She looked him in the eye and replied in a strong and unwavering voice, "Yes, I'm sure I won't ever need it again."

A_nd I'm more than sure that I don't want to be with you anymore_, she said in her head.

With a heavily broken heart, he nodded in approval at her answer. Tsukasa sighed and bid both Tsukushi and Rui a good evening.

"Please take care of her or you're dead," he directly told Rui and then got into his limo.

The couple watched the Domyouji limo drive off into the distance until they couldn't see it anymore. Tsukushi had wondered if this meant he'd come back and break them up, but she doubted that proposal now. After a few minutes, they got into the car and drove back to the Hanazawa mansion in silence. Tsukushi didn't feel like holding Rui's hand, so she kept her hands folded in her laps.

Half an hour later, they made their way into the Hanazawa driveway. Rui got out of the car and gave the key to his personal valet guy. Once inside the mansion, Rui walked Tsukushi to her guest bedroom, Rui put a reassuring arm on he waist.

At the door of her room, Rui turned her to look at him. "Tsukushi, are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'm alright." She nodded as if trying to prove that she was ok, she looked at him in the eyes.

"About that talk with Tsukasa, are you really sure?" Rui asked with concern. He was referring to her talk with Tsukasa and how she told him she didn't want to be with him.

Tsukushi was always touched by Rui's concern and she smiled at him. "Yes, I'm just as sure as my name is Tsukushi—the strong weed," she told him as she looked up into his kind eyes. "And I'll prove it to you."

While standing on her tiptoes, she closed her eyes and leaned into Rui. Her boyfriend smiled and welcomed her actions by leaning in, too, and allowing their lips to touch\. The two exchanged a sweet kiss and electric sparks spread through both of the bodies.

When they broke apart, Rui looked deep into her eyes and said, "I know you don't feel the same right now, but I need to let you know that I love you, Kushi."

But for the second time that day, their precious moments were being watched by jealous eyes.

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Awwww.. sweet, ain't it? It's kind of long, but I hope you all liked it. I'm sorry if I took a while. Now, please review!! 

-skytears9


	4. Chapter 4: White Day Part 1

**Disclaimer**: I **DO NOT OWN** _**Hana Yori Dango**_. I'm just writing for my readers and my own imagination.

Hey everyone! **I'm really, really, really sorry** I took longer than usual to update, but in addition to the fact that school's started and I'm a high school senior these past two months have been very, very hectic. College applications and school have officially taken over my life. Anyways, thanks so much for the feedback. Once again, your reviews are the only pillars of motivation for me. In addition, I've decided to change the character **Jade's name to Kaori**—mostly because it sounds more Japanese. I hope you like the first part of this chapter. Enjoy!

-skytears9

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**Chapter 4: White Day Part 1**

A month had passed since that awkward date with half of the F4 members and Tsukushi. Even though both Tsukushi and Rui had school and she continued to work at the dango shop with Yuki, they both found time for each other.

During that time, Tsukushi and Rui happily spent countless hours together either in the comfort of the Hanazawa mansion or out searching for another unique and unknown restaurant or clothing store. So far they had found a few stores that fulfilled their searches: such as the sweetly homemade Italian gelato shop hidden behind a large shrine or the cheap and fashionable clothing store that pleased her wallet. And with _Wicked_ being Tsukushi's first play, Rui took her to more musical plays as well.

In addition to their time together, Tsukushi's feelings grew for Rui with each passing day. Many times she felt that she truly loved him; no matter how cold and silent he usually was, she saw his true essence beneath. Rui not only made her happy, but he also brought out the best of her with his soundless understanding and reassuringly perfect smile.

These developed feelings also made her realize how burningly mesmerizing his touch was—regardless of how little it was. They may not have gotten farther than a small amount of five-second kisses and hugs and tender touches, but that alone blew her mind and created a blush so red that it made a tomato look like a pale crimson.

Although Tsukushi was yet to confess to him how she strongly felt and what the physical contact did to her. However, she was planning on telling him and she knew that Rui had an idea. She may not have let the exact words flow from her mouth, but gentle and sweet words were passed to him. Also, he was a very observant person and was all too familiar of Tsukushi's blood-red blushes after their intimacy.

Actually, she was planning on telling Rui on March 14th a.k.a. White Day.

Yes, life seemed somewhat perfect to the couple. Rui and Tsukushi had each other, they lived in the same household and spent time together—it was all like a hard to reach, happy reverie.

But sometimes, a dream didn't always apply to everyone and needs to be fought hard for so that it may become a permanent reality.

One such example is that Tsukushi's and Rui's happiness was mostly hindered by the splattered tabloids about Tsukasa. Apparently, while they spent their leisure together, the Domyouji heir had spent his free time clubbing and picking up new floozy girlfriends.

The last tabloid had shown a somewhat drunken Tsukasa coming out of a hotel room early in the morning, leaving a sleeping girl in a rented room. His mother found his new discovered hobby quite atrocious to the Domyouji name, but she simply hid it by paying off people to ignore and not report Tsukasa's behavior at the clubs. Shigeru, his fiancé, was only calmed by the fact that they were going to marry in five months.

Another example for this theory happened on the exact, same day Tsukushi chose to confess to Rui: White Day.

In Japan, one month after Valentine's Day, the fourteenth of March is famously known as White Day. Since women and girls of all ages give chocolates to males that they love, like, or simply just know, the men who received these chocolates have to return the favor and give gifts to women.

It all began when Tsukushi had been working until closing time at the dango shop the night before White Day and came home at around one a.m. Due to such a hardworking day at school and a late-night shift at work, she fell into a heavy sleep and woke up belatedly the next morning.

On account of a morning college class, Rui had woken up early on White Day and got ready for school. He smiled to himself as he got out of the shower and picked out his clothes for the day.

_Today's a pretty big day,_ Rui thought to himself as he chose a gray button-up shirt.

And no, it was not a big day because after his morning class, he had a business meeting with his father; but for the reason that he planned a homemade dinner for Tsukushi and had a special gift for her.

When he was done changing, he opened the middle drawer of his second largest armoire. He looked inside and moved a few of his neatly folded pants to take a glimpse at a small Tiffany Blue color jewelry box with a white bow on top. Beyond its blue wooden exterior was a pure sterling silver fifteen inch chain Tiffany necklace with a geometric heart pendant and a round diamond-studded staircase in the middle of the heart. The staircase symbolized the famous emergency staircase at Eitoku where they had met. It had only cost Rui a mere twenty-three thousand yen and he would've spent more on her gift. But he knew that she would never accept the jewelry if he had gotten her the hundred eighty-four thousand yen necklace he had originally thought of getting her.

He sighed at the thought of presenting such a grand necklace to her and went to greet Tsukushi a good morning. He hoped that she was awake and couldn't wait to have her in his arms, only to see that she was still sound asleep.

At the sight of her sleeping form, Rui smiled admiringly and decided to leave a note for her. He quietly walked over to her school bag at the foot of her bed and swiftly took out a post-it note and a lead pencil. He looked around her room and found the desk she had brought from her old apartment in the right-hand corner opposite of her bedside. It was an aged, but sturdy wooden desk that had a light and a few books sitting on it. Rui walked over to it and with his neat penmanship, he wrote:

_**Dear Tsukushi,**_

_**Happy White Day! **__**You're so cute when you're sleeping. **__**Since I have a morning class and then a business meeting with my father after, I'll have to see you later tonight. **__**Meet me in the main dining room at 5pm.**_

_**Until then,**_

_**Rui**_

When he was done with the note, Rui smiled to himself and set it down on the desk. Similar to when he had swiftly retrieved the supplies, he put them back. As he silently closed the door behind him, he didn't notice Kaori coming into the hall with towels in her arms from the opposite direction.

On the other hand, she had noticed him right away and quickly hid around the corner. Kaori peeked with half of her face and watched him go down the stairs. She hoped the Young Master hadn't been there all night. Due to her curiosity, she set the towels down in her place and entered Tsukushi's room, just as quietly as Rui.

Kaori surveyed the room with a keen eye. At first, she saw nothing really out of place, except Tsukushi sleeping at a slanted position and drooling a little on her pillow. Kaori smirked at the sight of her and turned the leave, but when she did, something caught her eye. Since she stood at the foot of Tsukushi's bed, the desk of Tsukushi was in the corner and she didn't notice what was on it. Kaori turned back around and noticed a piece of notebook paper with writing on it that lay precisely on Tsukushi's desk.

_Hmm.. What's this?_ Kaori thought to herself and slowly walked over to it.

She quietly picked up the note and became aware of the fact that the writing was the Young Master's penmanship. She read it silently and looked from the note to the resting Tsukushi. She scoffed at the idea of both the Young Master and Tsukushi having a date in the dining room, when an idea struck her. A mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes as she took a pencil from her pants pocket and erased the appointed time of their date.

With her skilled hand, Kaori perfectly imitated the Young Master's penmanship and wrote over where the five was with the number seven instead. Kaori smirked at herself for being so deceitful and set the note down back on the desk.

_You go ahead and enjoy your date, Ms. Makino_, Kaori soundlessly thought and tiptoed out of the bedroom.

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About an hour later, Tsukushi's ceramic-colored eyelids fluttered open to find herself in a slanted sleeping position, hugging one of her pillows. She groaned as she contentedly stretched on her soft bed and wiped the dried drool on her face. 

"Ahh, that was a good sleep," she said to herself and turned to look at the time.

However, Tsukushi was shocked by the time reflecting back at her— 9:30 am.

"Eh?" Tsukushi was surprised that she had slept in so late. _Usually, I'm up by eight-thirty. _She sighed and nimbly got out of bed, stretching her limbs as she did so.

She walked into her closet and looked through her clothes, wondering if there were any important events happening today. As she pulled on a pair of leggings and a beige tank top, Tsukushi quickly remembered that she had to buy a new book for her pre-law class. The price of the new book stuck in her head and she shuddered at the thought of spending seven-thousand yen on a book she'd only use once.

_I guess I could try to buy a used one at that bookstore a few blocks from my school_, she quickly thought as she put on a light blue, casual dress over her top and leggings. Tsukushi decided to stop at the bookstore after her class at noon as she pulled a beige cardigan over her dress.

A smile was placed upon Tsukushi's face and a cute outfit on her small frame, as she came out of the closet and walked over to her schoolbag. Yet, as she picked up her schoolbag, she noticed something on her desk. She threw her brown messenger bag turned schoolbag over her shoulder and walked over to her desk, only to recognize Rui's writing right away. Tsukushi lit up at the sigh of it, and quickly read it while her heart raced.

After reading it, butterflies fluttered into her stomach and an embarrassing blush appeared at the thought of Rui watching her sleep. At first, she hoped that he didn't see her drooling, but then she remembered that it was White Day.

_Awww.. he wants to meet up later tonight,_ Tsukushi happily thought and reminded herself not to be late. _I'm so lucky to have Rui_, was Tsukushi's last thought before she put the sweet note away and went to catch the eleven-ten bus towards her school.

It's too bad she was mistaken by the time of their dinner-date.

* * *

Later on that day, after Tsukushi's two and a half-hour class, she walked the few blocks to the used bookstore. Once again, her mind was so drained after an hour of lecturing and another hour and a half of intense note-taking. As Tsukushi filed out of the classroom with her fellow peers, she tugged at the heavy binder inside her bag. Even though the class had just started a month ago, her binder for it was already half-way full. She just hoped that she didn't have to buy a new one anytime soon. 

But despite the challenge, Tsukushi loved her college classes.

The scent of new and old books and a tranquil silence greeted her as she came through the bookstore's entrance. The two-story place wasn't that busy and a few people sat here and there reading a book, while others skimmed through the many aisles, like her. It took her a little while for Tsukushi to find the book she needed, but when she finally found and bought the book, it was only half-past three in the afternoon. She realized that she still had a few hours to kill before her dinner with Rui, so Tsukushi decided to find a place to get a quick bite to eat.

She walked out of the used quiet bookstore and walked a few blocks, searching for a good place to go. Clothing stores and bustling people passed by her before a modern internet-café caught her eye.

The name Techna Mocha Chip was written in bright green colors at the top of the creme colored café walls. It was a medium-sized shop with glass walls that presented the inside of the shop to passers-by and potential customers. Inside, the walls were a pale blue and green and there were chairs and tables for people to both drink and use their laptops on. It didn't look too busy, so Tsukushi helped herself in.

Once inside, Tsukushi got in line and bought a cup of raspberry iced tea and a pastry. With her hands full, Tsukushi found a seat near the door. When she settled into her seat, Tsukushi opened her schoolbag and began some of her homework. No matter how much she enjoyed being with Rui, Tsukushi still valued her time alone, because she felt a calm happiness fill her up as she did her homework and drank her tea. Sometimes being alone wasn't so bad.

Tsukushi was halfway through her homework, when she felt someone's gaze upon her. She didn't have the slightest idea who it could be, but since she was already so focused on her homework, she decided to ignore their gaze.

_Ignore it and just finish your homework_, she told herself as she wrote the answer to a worksheet's question.

Nevertheless, she couldn't ignore the sound of someone calling her.

"Makino?" A near-by voice called out her name.

At the sound of an all-too familiar voice, Tsukushi suddenly stopped what she was doing. Her hand was in the middle of writing a Japanese character, when she unwilling brought her eyes to meet with the person calling her name.

Tsukasa Domyouji and a pretty girl holding onto his arm, stood before her with two cups of of coffee in his hand. But it wasn't the sight of him with another girl that mortified her, but because he actually looked delighted to see her.

_Eh?_ Was the only thing that popped into Tsukushi's mind.

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**Currency Conversions**: Yen is the currency in Japan. Twenty-three thousand yen is equal to two hundred U.S. dollars. Hundred eighty-four thousand yen is equal to sixteen hundred U.S. dollars. Seven thousand yen is equal to sixty U.S. dollars. 

Thanks so much for reading!! PLEASE REVIEW!!

-skytears9


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